Ramanathaswamy Temple tower

Situated in the centre of the city, Ramanathaswamy Temple has a great mythological significance. As per legend, the main deity of Lord Shiva at this temple was installed by Lord Rama himself. This temple holds a great significance besides other 275 temples of Lord Shiva and is one of the most revered pilgrimage spots for Char Dham. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and legend has it that of the two lingams here one was built by Goddess Sita from sand and the one was brought by Lord Hanuman from Kailash. Incidentally, Sita made the sand lingam while Ram was waiting for Hanuman to get the Vishwalingam. The lingam brought by Hanuman is worshipped first as per Rama's instructions. This 12th century temple is home to the world famous row of 1212 pillars made from single stone built in a record 30 years! As per the guide here, the sea actually flows right underneath this temple. This temple also has a 16 ft tall idol of Hanuman (that looks very different from the usual ones) located at the spot from where it is believed he actually leapt to Lanka. However, about 9 feet of it is submerged so you only see a 7 feet tall idol. The temple is a storehouse of various anecdotes and is something you must not miss while you are here.